Numbering machine



July 14, 1931. o. E. CONKLIN ET AL NUMBERING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1'7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l fm enfors E len/(lob '9! 0 (0) By fbez'r afforney We y 1931- o. E. CONKLIN ET AL 1,814,432

NUMBERING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17 1928 s Sheets-Sheet 2 By l/zeir af/orngy y 14, 1931- o. E. CONKLIN ET AL 14,432

NUMBERING MACHINE Fil ed Feb. 17; 1928 s Sheets-Sheet s 0000m00ffi00000 0000055 500 600000 1 lllllllj 0.5: xmenpzg 192255 By fbeir afforney 1 %6 4'.

Patented July 14, .1931

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OLIVER EFCONKLIN, OF PARLIN, AND GEORGE ROCKER, OF WESTFIELD, NEW JERSEY,

ASSIGNORS TO DU PONT-PATHE FILM MANUFACTURING CORPORATION, 01 WIL- HINGTON, DELAWARE, A. CORPORATION DELAWARE NUMBERING MACHINE Application filed February 17, 1928. Serial No. 254,929.

This invention relates to numbering machines, and particularly to machines for printing consecutive numbers on continuous lengths of material. While the invention is not restricted thereto, the present embodiment thereof has particular application to, and is described in connection with, the application of consecutive footage numbers to photographic film. For example, the illustrated machine may be used in the production of ink-numbered film of the type described and claimed in the ap lication of John H. Clewell and Frank McCormick, Serial No. 269,594, filed April 12, f1i928, and entitled Numbered motion picture One object of the inventionis to provide a machinewfor placing any desired indicia on continuouslengths of material as they are passed through the machine. Another object is to provide a machine for printing consecutive lndicia, as footage numbers, on continuous lengths of photographic film, as

cinematographic .film. To vthese ends, and

also to improve generally upon machines of the'character indicated, this invention consists in the various matters hereinafter described'and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational view of a machine embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2, 2 of film-moving wheel 1. Also the member 2 1s Figure 1; Figure 3 is a view, to an enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 3, 3 of Figure 2, showing the' mechanism where by the numbering device proper is actuated; Figure 4 is a; view looking substantially in the direction of the arrow 4 in Figure 1, and showing the mechanism for inking the type of the numbering device proper; Figure 5 is a broken out face view of a section of film as numbered by the machine, the numbers on the film being dotted in to indicate that they are viewedthrough the film, they having been impressed on the lower side of the film as the film is passed through the machine; and Figure 6 is a conventional elementary skeleton view of the machine assembled and mounted with a perforating I printing machine to receive the film therefrom and be driven thereby.

Referrin' now to the drawings, the illustrated mac ine in general comprises a film driving and supporting wheel 1, a rotatable member 2 carrying, rotatable therewith, the printing mechanism proper 3, an inking mechanism, designated generally as 4, for inkin the type of the printing mechanism 3, an a t pe-cleaning'device, indicated as a brush 5, or cleaning the type of the printing mechanism 3 as the printing mechanism is carried past-the brush during the rotation of the member 2.. Cooperative with the mechanism 3, is a cam-actuated mechamsm, designated generally as 6 (Fig. 3), for actuating the printing mechanism during rotation of the same with the carrier 2, the cam-operated mechanism 6 being controlled by the cam -7. The machine also embodies guiding devices 8 and 9 for leadin the film F to, and receiving it from, the driving wheel 1.

Conveniently, the machine is assembled with a perforator, to number the film immediately after the making of the perforations, and to be driven by the perforator. Such an assembly is shown in Figure 6. As there shown, the driving wheel 1 is driven from the perforator by the driver 10 on a continuously rotating shaft of the perforator, the chain 11 and the sprocket 12 driving the driven from sprocket 12 by the gearsl3 and 14 (Fig. 2). 'The assembly of Figure 6 is shown as also embodying a roll R offilm F,

a perforating mechanism P, idlers I (float-=.

thence through the idler assembly 8, and between'the members 1 and 2, and through the idler mechanism 9, and over idlers I and I to the wind-up roll W, the wind-up roll W bein driven from the perforator. The mem ers 1 and 2 are driven from the perforator, as before described, and the film is carried forward by the member 1. In passing between the members 1 and 2, the printing mechanism rolls in contact with the film and prints the numbers consecutivel thereon, a number being printed once or each revolution of the member 2 (and 1). The arts are so proportioned, and the gearing such, that the'speed of the film being carried by the wheel 1 is the same as the speed of the numbers of the printing mechanism in their circumferential travel with the member 2, whereby there is no speed differential between the film and the numbers on the rinting mechanism, both having the same inear velocit whereb anyblurring of the printing is obviated. or printing footage numbers on film, the parts are, of course, so proportioned that a number will be rinted on the film at each foot. During eac revolution of the carrier 2, the number displayed by the printing device is advanced one unit, whereby immediately consecutive numbers are printed on the film one foot apart. The

carrler 2 rotates anti-clockwise in Figure 1 (the driver 1 rotating clockwise), whereby the counter mechanism is, in each revolution, carried past the cleaning brush 5 and then past the inking mechanism 4, where a fresh supply of ink is applied to the counter. Preferably, and as here shown, the parts are so arranged that the counter number is changed in the travel of the counter from a point in register with the brush, to the inking roll.

' Any suitable ink may be used, it preferably com rising a dye or pigment, a solvent for the 1m, and an adhesive, say shellac, to give the ink suitable adherence and proper body. Preferably, but not necessarily, the ink may be of the general type described and claimed in the application of John H. Clewell Serial No. 269,595, filed April 12, 1928, and entitled Ink for cellulose ester-bodies.

Proceeding now to a detailed description of the machine. The machine comprises the supports 15 and 16 carried at their lower ends in the base 17 and supporting at their .upper ends the fixed cross member 18, which carries the wheel 1 rotatably mounted with respect thereto. The supports carry, slidably mounted thereon, the carriage member 10 which supports, rotatably mounted thereon, the carrier 2. The carriage 19 is maintained in position with respect to the top member 18 by means of the ex ansion springs 20, adjustable by means of co lars 21.

ith this construction, it is evident that the wheel 2, and. hence the printing mechanism 3,is urged toward the wheel 1 with a yielding pressure, readily adjustable to provide for pro r contact of the type of the printin mec anism with the film.

e film-driving wheel 1 is carried upo a shaft 22 for rotation therewith, the shaft 22 being mounted in bearings 23 for rotation with respect to the to member 18 and carrying the assembly 24 xed on the shaft 22 for rotation therewith. The assembly 24 comprises 'the sprocket 12, previously described as receiving its drive from, for example, any suitable motor mechanism, as a perforator P, and also comprises the gear 13, previously mentioned, which drives the carrier 2 of the counter. The wheel 1 and the assembly 24 are each keyed to the shaft 22 by pin and slot constructions 25 and 26, the member 1 abutting the collar 27 being held by the knurled nut 28, while the assembly 24 is similarly held by the cone 29 and the nuts 30.

The carrier 2 for the printing mechanism, and the gear 14, are carried upon the shaft 31 substantially as the members 1 and 24 are carried on the shaft 22 (see Fig. 2), while the shaft 31 is mounted in the carriage 19 substantially as the shaft 22 is mounted in the top member 18.

The carrier 2 comprises a hub 32 with a web 33, and presents the slot 34 in which is received the pin 35 which connects the carrier 2 with the shaft 31. The hub 32 is provided with In s. 36 to which is bolted the web 33 and through which are slidably passed rods 37, each of which presents at its upper end a bearing block 38, these blocks being connected by a cross pin 39. To this cross pin are connected levers 40, one adjacent each end of the pin, for actuating the printingl mechanism proper, or counter, as will be ereinafter described.

At their lower ends the ins 35 support a cam-roller-support 41. is support presents the lugs 42 and the support 43 for the cam roller 44. To the lugs 42 are attached contractile springs 45 connected at their other ends to the web 33 of the carrier 2. These springs urge the cam roller 44 into contact with its cam 46. The cam 46 is stationarily mounted upon the carria e 19.

Upon the web 33 and encirclin t e hub 32 whichare mounted the various type disks of the rinting mechanism proper, orcounter, 3. he screw 50, which serves-to attach the plate 47 to the web, also attaches'thereto, at the opposite side thereof, a guide late 51 serving as a s'teadying ide for t e camroller-support 41, it resting between lugs 52 thereon. I 1

The counter may be of any suitable type, as one of the general type of counter illustrated somewhat conventionally herein (no claim being herein made for the specific type of counter illustrated). The illustrated counter comprises a series of number discs 53, each carrying raised type numbers 53 in sequence from Oto 9 axially and rotatably mounted upon the axle pin 49. As will be understood by those skilled in the art of counters, each of these discs is provided with a ratchet wheel 54 moved by a s ring pressed pawl 55, the series of pawls ing independently oscillatable upon a bar -56. As will be further understood by those skilled in the counter art, the arrangement is, as usual, such that the units pawl is operated to move its wheel one unit at each oscillation, the "tensdisc moved One unit at each tenth oscillation of its pawl, and so on, this action being accomplished, as is usual, by providing each ratchet with a tooth depression of a differentdepth from the tooth depressions of any of the other ratchets, with the tooth depressions of the different ratchets progressively differing in depth from one disk to the next.

Returning to the levers 40, herebefore mentioned, these are fulcrumed on the axle pin 49, and carried between them and fast connected thereto, is the pawl bar 56. v The levers have a slotted connection 57 with the before-mentioned cross pin 39. With this construction, when'the carrier 2 is rotated and the cam roller 44 follows the surface of the stationary cam '46, the member 41 is moved downward (as in Fig. 2) by the cam and is drawn upward by the springs 45. This motion of the cam-roller support causes a corresponding motion of the cross pin 39, and an oscillation of the levers about the fulcrum 49, thus causing a corresponding motion of the pawl bar 56, and, hence, actu-. ation' of the pawls to move the ty discs .of the counter, the units wheel being advanced one-type tooth at each oscillation of the pawl bar and the other discs being operated once every tenth, once every hundredth oscillation, and so on, due to the pawl teeth of successively difierent depth in the ratchets of the type discs. As will be seen from Figure 2, the arrangement is such that the motion of the cam roller carrier which causes actuation of' the type discs is the downward (Figure 2) motion brought about by the cam, whereas the springs 45 serve merely to pull the-c'am-roller-support upward and cause the pawls to move anticlockwise (in Figure 2-). Thus the motion of the type discs-1s positive, the cam serving this purpose. As will be evident by reference' to Figure 3, wherein the cam 46 is shown by phantom lines, there will be one operating oscillation of the lovers 40 for each revolution of the carrier 2, and the changing of the number displayed by the counter will take place during the travel of the counter from a oint in register with the type cleaner 5, to t e inking roll 4, as herebefore described. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the counter assembly is approximately barrel shape to give. proper rolling conable manner,

heretofore generally designated as 4. The

mechanism comprises'the trough 59, suitably supported on the carriage 19, fed from the reservoir by way of the pipe 61, and having the overflow pipe 62 by which the ink is maintained'at constant level in the trough. A knurled ink-carrying roller 63 is mounted in the trough 59 to dip into the ink therein, and a felt inking pad 64 is mounted in the trough for contact with the roller 63 to aid in the spreading of the ink.u on the roller, As shown in Figure 1, the pa 64 is carried, vertically slidable, in a support 65, and is spring pressed, by thespring 66, into contact with the roller 63. The roller 63 is driven from the previously mentioned shaft 31 by way of the sprocket 67 (Figure 2), the sprocket 68, on the shaft 69 of the roller (Figure 4), and a connecting chain 68'. Mounted between extensions 70 of the sides of the trough, is the contact inking'roller 71 for immediate contact with the type of the counter. The roller 71 V has its axle v 72 mounted in arcuate slots 73 in the exten sions70, these slots being concentric with the shaft 69 of the roller 63, and so located? as shown in Figure -1, that the tendency o the roller 71 is to drop towards the counter, carrier 2. The position of the roller 71 is adjusted by the arms 74 pivoted at 75 and contacting the endsjof the shaft'72 of the roller 71. Thesearms are heldvin adjust? position-sbynany suitable means, as frictionacontact with the pivots 75 and'the extensions 70. By adjustment of the arms the exact positioning of the roller 71 to giveit rde==- sired contact with the type is readily made; 1

The roller 71 is driven by contact'withtlie' roller 63. It will be understood that the.

gear ratios, and proportions of the parts are such, that the'roller 7-1 has' the same surface speed as the type of the counter. The felt scraper 76 is carried on the trough for removal of excess ink from the roller 63.

The-amount of ink carried by the roller I 63 to the inking roll 71 can be reduced and regulatedby grooving or knurling thesurface of 63. The .wi er76 does not leave enough ink on 63 to fi 1 up the grooves. The small amount of ink remaining spreads by capillary attraction over the high spots (the,

edges of the grooves) and. e wheel 71 picks up ink only from the high spots of 68 m with which it makes contact. The area and number of these high spots can be regulated to suit the ink used, the maximum amount of ink being carried by a smooth faced wheel. The surface of wheel 71 is preferably porous (felt for instance) to facilitate the even distribution of ink picked up from the high spots of wheel 63.

Referring now to the mechanism heretofore designated generally as 8 and 9, for guiding the film to and from the film-driving wheel 1. These mechanisms are alike, except for being lefts and rights, and a description of one will, therefore, sufiice for both. The film-guiding wheel, as 8, is rotatably mounted upon a bracket 77 on the head or to member 18 and is desirably located in t e plane of the wheel 1, whereby the film is desirably given a straight line delivery to the wheel 1 (and has a straight line discharge therefrom to the wheel 9). Also, carried by the bracket 77, concentric with the roller 8, is a swinging arm 78. The bracket 77 has an extension 79 and connecting this extension and the lever 78 is a contractile spring 80. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, and by reference to Figure 1, the spring 80 serves to hold the outer end of the lever 78 toward thewheel 1, or awa therefrom, as shown by dotted lines, accor ing to whether the lever is swung to carry the spring to the left or the right of the axis of oscillation of the lever (8. The retraction of the arm 78 is limited by a pin-and-slot construction 81 between the bracket 77 and the arm. The lever 78 carries at its outer end, in the plane of the wheel 1, a pressure roller 82 for forcing the film into contact with the wheel 1. The roller 8 has flanges 83 at each side thereof for the retention of the film, while the driving wheel 1 has sprocket teeth 84 spaced for meshing with standard perforations of the film, as perforated preferably by the illustrated perforating machine.

The bracket 77, which carries the idler 9,

also conveniently carries the idler I, as shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 2,

the idler I is provided with upstanding tracks 85 on which the film may immediately rest. Such other film wheels as may be desired may also be provided with similar tracks, as indicated, for example, at 8" and 9, by dotted lines.

While, in Figure 1, the roller 82 is shown as swung away from the wheel 1, in order to better illustrate the positions which the rollers 82 and 82 may occupy, it will be understood that when the machine is in op eration the roller 82, as well as the roller 82, is swung into position to apply pressure to the film, thus to hold the film firmly on the wheel 1 during printing. When film is to be threaded through the machine, the

lmasthe illustrated, the machine prints the numbers on the extreme margin of the film between the perforations and the edge of the film. The film may, of course, be fed to the machine to print the numbers either upon the emulsion side or upon the back, as may be desired.

Returning to the carriage 19 which is urged toward the head 18 by the lower (in Figure 1) springs 20 (the movement bein somewhat buffered by the upper springs% in order to press the numbers 53 into proper contact with the film, it will be understood that the teeth of the gears 13 and 14 are of such height, and mesh with such clearance, that the drive is properly maintained despite the go and come movement of the carriage during operation of the machine, this motion being but sli ht. In this way, the gearing does not inter ere with the proper pressing of the type against the film nor does the go and come movement of the carriage interfere with the drive. If desired, and as illustrated in Figure 2, the gear 14 may be split through in the plane of the gear, that is made 1n two circular halves, and these connected by bolts passing through over-diameter holes in one of the halves. With this arrangement, one-half may be rotated slightly with respect to the other to in practical effect, increase the width of the teeth circumferentially; and similarl with the gear 12.

We 0 aim:

1. In a numbering machine a supportin frame, a rotatin drum-like element carried thereby, means or rotating such element, a numbering mechanism carried by said element and including a shaft arranged in chord position on said element and a ratcheted number disc rotatable on said shaft, and means for rotating said disc upon rotation of said element; such means comprising a cam-follower carrier radially slidable upon said element, a lever fulcrumed upon said shaft and pivotally connected to said carrier, a pawl pivotally connected.

thereby to actuate the lever, pawl and number disc.

2. In a numbering machine, a supporting frame, a rotating numbering-device carrier supported by sald frame, a numbering device carried b said carrier for rotation therewith and avin type, a type-cleaning device and a type-in ing device carried by said frame in position to be contacted by v the type of the numbering device in the circumferential travel of such device with the rotatin carrier, said cleaning device and said in ing device being spaced along the path of travel of the numbering device, means to drive the carrier in 'a direction to carry the numbering device from the cleaning device to the inking device, and means for changing the displayed numbers of the numbering device during travel from the cleaning device to the inking device.

In testimony whereof We afiix our signatures.

OLIVER E. CONKLIN. GEORGE ROCKER. 

